{"73851":{"#nid":"73851","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Method Can Detect Potential Bioterror Agent","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new combination of analytical chemistry and mathematical data analysis techniques allows the rapid identification of the species, strain and infectious phase of the potential biological terrorism agent \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii\u003C\/em\u003E. The bacterium causes the human disease Q fever, which can cause serious illness and even death.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yielded a method that proved to be 95.2 percent accurate in identifying and classifying \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii\u003C\/em\u003E. The laboratory test delivers results in about five minutes compared to about two hours for the lab technique currently used to detect this bacterium.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because of its potential use as a bioweapon, we needed a method to detect \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii \u003C\/em\u003Eat an early stage, and we needed to be able to determine which strain is present so authorities can determine the geographic area from which it came,\u0022 said Facundo Fernandez, an assistant professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech. He presented the research team\u0027s findings Sept. 1 at the 230th American Chemical Society National Meeting in Washington, D.C.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFernandez and his Ph.D. student Carrie Young, a chemist in the CDC\u0027s Environmental Health Lab, collaborated with CDC researchers in the National Center for Environmental Health and the National Center for Infectious Diseases. They combined mass spectrometry -- an analytical technique to study ionized molecules in the gas phase -- and a mathematical data analysis technique called partial least squares analysis.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMass spectrometry allows researchers to look at the profiles of different proteins expressed in a microorganism. Partial least squares analysis lets researchers separate important information from \u0022noise\u0022 -- or biological baseline shifts caused by sample preparation variations -- that could corrupt a predictive model.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only is the combination of these techniques into one method a novel concept, this research also represents the first time that \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii\u003C\/em\u003E has been detected at the strain level with a rapid detection process, Fernandez noted. Such classification is a challenging task with bacteria, he added. Researchers believe the technique also will work with other pathogens, which they expect to begin studying this fall.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii \u003C\/em\u003Eis a species of concern because it causes the highly infective human disease Q fever, which is transmitted primarily by cattle, sheep and goats. A human can be infected by as few as one bacterium. The disease can be manifested as a chronic or acute case, depending on the strain. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and chest pain. Q fever can also lead to pneumonia and hepatitis. The chronic form of the disease can cause endocarditis, an infection of a heart valve, and even lead to death.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to being a public health threat, \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii \u003C\/em\u003Eis listed as a Category B bioterrorism agent because of its long-term environmental stability, resistance to heat and drying, extremely low infectious dose, aerosol infectious route and history of weaponization by various countries, according to the CDC.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo date, Georgia Tech and CDC researchers can differentiate between seven \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii \u003C\/em\u003Estrains, which come from Australia, the United States and Europe. Some strains are more infective than others, and the researchers\u0027 method determines not only the strain, but whether it\u0027s a Phase I or II strain depending on its ability to infect, Fernandez explained.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The next step is to fine tune our model and increase the number of strains we can identify,\u0022 Fernandez said. \u0022There is a library of strain samples available to us, though the samples are sanitized with gamma radiation and rendered inactive before analysis.\u0022 To identify strains, researchers examine the appearance of biomarker proteins in samples.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In some cases, we classify a strain by the presence or absence of a biomarker. And sometimes we see the same biomarker proteins, but at varying levels, in different strains,\u0022 Fernandez noted. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u0027 detection technique is highly sensitive, meaning it can detect \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii\u003C\/em\u003E strains at very low concentrations - specifically at the attomole level, which is equivalent to 1 X 10-17 moles. (Moles measure the actual number of atoms or molecules in a sample.)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUntil now, the best method to differentiate between strains of \u003Cem\u003ECoxiella burnetii \u003C\/em\u003Ewas a laboratory technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which analyzes the genes of a bacterium and yields results in one to two hours. The new method, which analyzes the proteins of a bacterium, can yield results in five minutes. For now, it is also a laboratory test, though separate research involving Fernandez and other Georgia Tech researchers is pursuing development of a field-testing instrument.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In a bioterrorism event, you want more than one method to determine the strain you are dealing with,\u0022 Fernandez noted. \u0022So you would use our technique first and then use PCR as a second method to independently confirm your results. Also, our method using mass spectrometry, allows you to quickly replicate your analysis - even 10 times if you want to. That gives you an added degree of statistical significance.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFernandez and his colleagues began the research in June 2004 with funding from the CDC and a Georgia Tech Research Corporation seed grant. With their encouraging results about the method\u0027s capability, they plan to apply for additional federal funds in the near future. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking with Fernandez and Young are John Barr and his colleagues Adrian Woolfitt and Hercules Moura of the National Center for Environmental Health, and Edward Shaw (now at Oklahoma State University) and Herbert Thompson of the National Center for Infectious Diseases. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA \u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Con\u003C\/strong\u003Etacts: Jane Sanders, Georgia Tech (404-894-2214); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Fax (404-894-4545) or John Toon, Georgia Tech (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@edi.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.toon@edi.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or National Center for Environmental Health, CDC (404-498-0070); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:atsdric@cdc.gov\u0022\u003Eatsdric@cdc.gov\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Facundo Fernandez, Georgia Tech (404-385-4432); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:facundo.fernandez@chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efacundo.fernandez@chemistry.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Barr, CDC (770-488-7848); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:JBarr@cdc.gov\u0022\u003EJBarr@cdc.gov\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jane Sanders\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech and CDC collaborate on combination technique"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A new combination of analytical chemistry and mathematical data analysis techniques allows the rapid identification of the species, strain and infectious phase of the potential biological terrorism agent Coxiella burnetii.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Combination method detects potential terror agent"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2005-09-05 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2005-09-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2005-09-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"73852":{"id":"73852","type":"image","title":"Researchers in lab","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894681","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:41"},"73853":{"id":"73853","type":"image","title":"Coxiella burnetii bacteria","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894681","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:41"},"73854":{"id":"73854","type":"image","title":"mass spectrometry equipment","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894681","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:41"}},"media_ids":["73852","73853","73854"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Fernandez\/","title":"Facundo Fernandez"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/","title":"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}